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Clarissa Oliveros
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What is an algorithm?

How computers know what to do with data

October 16, 2020 12.00pm BST

The world of computing is full of buzzwords: AI, supercomputers, machine learning, the cloud, quantum
computing and more. One word in particular is used throughout computing – algorithm.

In the most general sense, an algorithm is a series of instructions telling a computer how to transform a
set of facts about the world into useful information. The facts are data, and the useful information is
knowledge for people, instructions for machines or input for yet another algorithm. There are many
common examples of algorithms, from sorting sets of numbers to finding routes through maps to
displaying information on a screen.

To get a feel for the concept of algorithms, think about getting dressed in the morning. Few people give it
a second thought. But how would you write down your process or tell a 5-year-old your approach?
Answering these questions in a detailed way yields an algorithm.
The Role of Algorithm in Computing article - Google Search

INPUT

To a computer, input is the information needed to make decisions. When you get dressed in the
morning, what information do you need? First and foremost, you need to know what clothes are
available to you in your closet. Then you might consider what the temperature is, what the weather
forecast is for the day, what season it is and maybe some personal preferences.

All of this can be represented in data, which is essentially simple collections of numbers or words. For
example, temperature is a number, and a weather forecast might be “rainy” or “sunshine.”

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